


Inviting Chaos

by MsLunaWinchester



Category: Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Avengers Family, Avengers Tower, Danger, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Guess you just have to read the story, Hydra (Marvel), Implied Sexual Content, Marvel Universe, Reader-Insert, Romance, SHIELD, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn, Smut, Torture, What more can I say???
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-04
Updated: 2019-08-11
Packaged: 2020-07-31 08:50:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20112409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsLunaWinchester/pseuds/MsLunaWinchester
Summary: After months of torture, you are finally saved by the Avengers. Still in recovery, you stay with the superheroes as Loki joins them involuntarily and by command of S.H.I.E.L.D. Soon after, chaos starts to unravel.. and it might has something to do with a certain, mischievous God.(I'm bad at summaries, sorry. :3 This is my first fic and I hope you enjoy reading it. Feel free to leave any suggentions in the comments.)





	1. Prolog

PROLOG

The two agents exchanged meaningful looks. Both of them had their backs pressed against the cold walls of the basement; trying their best to blend in with the dark of the hallway. It was only lit by a few flickering neon-lights, drenching the halls into a greenish cold.

The male agent slightly raised his brow, earning a small nod in return. It was enough for the both of them to communicate. His female companion stretched slightly, reaching for the hidden blade in her boots. Both drew a deep breath, before storming down the hallway as one. 

As they turned around a corner, they reached one of the armed guards. Before he could react to the two agents, the male struck him down with a skilled bow shot. With the arrow piercing through his head, the guard fell to the ground with a stifled moan, metal colliding with stone. The sound echoed through the cellar, alerting the other guards. The woman cursed under her breath. The agents continued their way, now even more cautious than before.

Soon enough, more soldiers kept pooling into the halls, armed to the teeth. But even though it were over a dozen of them, the guards never stood a chance. The woman fought like she'd never done anything else: Every one of her movements was calculated. She ducked with a dance-like spin as one of the guards came for her, while raising her leg and knocking another soldier unconscious.  
Meanwhile, the male agent stayed a few feet back, shooting his arrows with precision. He never missed.

The fight was over before it had even begun. Within a few minutes, the woman knocked the last guard out with a skilled punch to the head. She spun around to her partner, a bright smile plastered on her face. The man copied it immediately. 

“Even after all these years, we're still an amazing team, huh?”, she said, running her fingers through her flaming red locks. 

“As if that would ever change”, the man replied grinning. But almost instantly, the agent's smile faded. “We have to keep going.” The woman nodded determined and the agents rushed forward again. 

They continued their way through the basement. Every so often, they'd turn on a corner or enter through one of the many doors. Despite the maze of hallways, doors and stairs, they moved completely confident. Both of them had conscientiously studied the ground plan beforehand. 

As they reached a huge metal door, they stopped in their tracks. 

“That's it”, the man whispered. His partner nodded. 

“I can't believe Hydra held them captive this long without our notice.” The woman spat the words like venom. 

“I know, Nat. But now's not the time for anger.” The blond agent sighed. “Let's get them out of here for good.” Instead of an answer, the red haired woman stepped forward, pulling out a lock pick and started working on the door. Within seconds, a faint click sounded off. The agents lost no time and carefully opened the door. 

The room they entered was entirely dark. Cold and damp air filled the agents lungs as they took a deep breath. The archer hastily pulled out two flash lights, tossing one to his friend. The yellow light of them barely lit what laid in front of them.  
They stood in yet another hallway. This one, however, was smaller. Three cell doors lead off from it, each of them embedded into the stone walls. 

Without looking, the woman threw a lock pick towards the other agent, who caught it effortlessly. In wordless agreement, both of them made their way towards one of the cells. 

Both of the cells looked identical. They were cold and grey, containing nothing more than a dirty mattress, which was carelessly thrown to the ground.  
The victims inside, one male and one female, were each dressed in the same grey overall. Both of them were lying on the mattresses, either sleeping or unconscious; it was hard to tell. What wasn't hard to tell though, was how broken both of them were. Their bodies were too thin for the overalls they were wearing; only enhanced by their hollow cheeks and the dark circles under their eyes. 

Both of the agents had already seen many horrors in their life, but it still pained them to see the prisoners like this. And while it filled the male agent with sadness, his partner was struck with anger. 

She stormed towards the last of the three cells, angrily picking its lock. Within seconds, the familiar click could be heard and the red haired woman opened the third door. Just as she had the first look at the victim inside, her boiling anger vanished and was replaced by utter agony.

“Clint”, the female agent called. The pained tone of her voice caught his attention instantly. “This one is bad”, she murmured, staring inside the last cell. The archer hurried over to her, glancing inside the cell. He froze as soon as he caught sight of the woman laying inside. 

She was merely in her early twenties and without a doubt, she looked the worst. Her grey overall was torn and every bit of skin showing was covered in bruises ranging from bright purple to a dull green. Dried blood covered her thighs and stomach, but the gash on her forehead seemed fresh, as bright red blood was still running down her pained face. 

It was then, when the female's eyes fluttered open, darting aimlessly through the dark cell, until they found the blue pair of eyes staring down at her. The male agent sucked in his breath in shock, falling to his knees right away. 

“Clint, what's wrong?” But his partners voice didn't reach his ears as he rapidly crawled towards the female prisoner. With shaking hands, he cupped the woman's bruised face. That's when the victims eyes widened in realisation. 

“Clint?”, she croaked, a single tear running down her face. The man nodded vehemently, also crying now. 

“It's okay, little bird, it's over now, okay?” He stroked her face soothingly, but the woman hissed in pain, closing her eyes again. “I'm so sorry. Oh god, I..”

“You know her?”, the female agent asked perplex. The archer nodded, without taking his eyes off the wounded prisoner in front of him. As careful as possible, he embraced the woman, her body immediately going limp in his arms.  
With tears in his eyes, he looked up to his confused partner and said:

“This is (Y/N). She's my sister.”

As you first regained consciousness, you woke in a hospital bed, countless machines beeping next to your head. Panicked, you tried to take in the strange surroundings, fearing yet another nightmare.  
You felt tubes dangling from your right arm. Numbing panic spreading through your body as you stared down at the needle, injected into your hand. In an instant you shot up, your weakened body fuelled with adrenaline, while you desperately clawed at the itching cannula. 

It was a familiar voice next to you, that barely managed to calm you down:

“Shhh, (Y/N), it's fine. You're safe.” You felt the warm touch of a hand on your bare arm before you were able to make out it's source. Afraid, you pulled your arm away, hot pain spreading through your whole right half. “Hey, little bird, look at me.” The familiar pet name managed to break through your pained mind almost instantly, as you finally looked up and met the concerned eyes of your brother. 

“Clint?”, you breathed. In your panic, you hadn't registered the man sitting next to your bed before. He looked tired, dark circles sitting under his eyes, but as soon as your eyes met, he physically relaxed. You tried to reach out to him, but your body was too weak and you dropped back into the pillows. “What..” You looked around the room confused, squinting your eyes at the bright lights. “Where am I? What happened?” 

Again, Clint reached for you, slowly this time, as if giving you the time to decide if you wanted to allow the touch. You nodded slightly and Clint wrapped his warm hand around yours almost desperately.

“It's all over now. You're safe.” He took a deep breath before continuing. “But first, get some more rest. I'll explain everything to you once you're feeling better, okay?”

“Will you still be here when I wake up?”, you asked, almost afraid of his answer. But despite your concern, your brother nodded immediately and added:

“Of course. I'll never leave you again.” 

“You promise?”, you mumbled, feeling your eyes get heavy. Tears welled up in his eyes as he carefully squeezed your hand.

“I promise, little bird.” For the first time in what felt like forever, you felt a tiny, relieved smile spread on your face, before you drifted back into a dreamless sleep.


	2. The God of Mischief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few weeks after your rescue, things are starting to change as someone new arrives at the Avengers tower.

A few weeks had passed since Clint and Natasha had rescued you from the Hydra base, but you still had a hard time to adapt. While the other victims were brought to the S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, your brother insisted on letting him stay with you and his friends. At least, so you were told. 

You still felt hardly at home at the Stark tower, but all of the Avengers did their best to make you feel both comfortable and welcome. You smiled faintly at the memories of your first meetings with them.

Soon after you'd woken again and Clint had filled you in on everything that happened, the Avengers started stopping by one by one to meet you.

First off, a red haired woman had carefully entered your room. You recognized her; she had accompanied your brother when you were rescued.   
She introduced herself as Natasha. She was one of Clint's closest friends as you faintly remembered through your brother's stories. She sat by your bed for a while, patiently answering your questions about S.H.I.E.L.D and the Avengers. 

Next off was Tony Stark, alias Iron Man, who you quickly learned owned not only the hospital floor you were situated at, but the whole building. He was funny and caring, but only stopped by twice; each time with a new little gadget to ease the days you were bed-stricken.

Soon after a giant man with blond flowing locks took his place beside your bed, introducing himself to you as Thor, God of Thunder.   
At first, you had a hard time believing him, but eventually, he managed to convince you. He came by a few times while you were still in the hospital; each time with a new vivid story of his home, Asgard. His tales were one of the only things that managed to make you smile and actually made you forget your horrible past for a bit. 

Followed by the three were the two remaining Avengers, consisting of Steve Rodgers, also called Cap by the others, and the scientist Bruce Banner. The latter had only stopped by for a full fifteen minutes, before awkwardly escaping back into his laboratory. After what Natasha had briefly told you about him and the Hulk, you couldn't blame him.  
Steve on the other hand came by nearly every day, always bearing sweets or pastries for you to enjoy while talking pleasantry. 

None of the Avengers expected you to open up to them, though, which you were incredibly thankful for. You deeply appreciated their concern and care, but you knew you hadn't healed enough, neither physically nor mentally, to deal with any of your past yet.

After ten days in the hospital bed you were finally able to convince your brother to let you stay at a normal bedroom like the rest. Within a day, Tony Stark had managed to prepare a room for you on the same floor as Clint's. 

That's where you found yourself now. The room was furnished both modern and simple. At first, it had consisted of nothing more than a bed and wardrobe, but as soon as Tony had learned you loved to read, he had added a big bookshelf to it, already containing hundreds of books. You deeply appreciated the gesture. Even if it was still far from it, it made your room feel a bit more like a possible home. 

You rested your head back into the pillows, staring at the ceiling. Regardless of the others attempts to make you forget, your memories still haunted you. Even though you tried your best to black them out during the day, in your sleep, they came crawling back into your head.  
The twisted, dark images reached out to you every night; sometimes as horrible flashbacks, sometimes as contorted nightmares. Either way, there was no escaping them. If you were lucky enough to fall asleep at all, you awoke within a few hours; bathed in sweat and either crying or screaming into your pillows. 

And you knew Clint could hear you every night. The first time you slept in your new room, he had come running to you in fear. You knew he had only meant to help you, but his dark figure standing in your doorway had send you into an even worse panic attack.  
So after you had finally calmed down, you two had agreed for Clint to stay in his room at night and not come looking for you, much to your brothers dismay.   
But despite his efforts, you knew there was nothing he could do to help. 

You shook your head as if to scare away your dark thoughts and got up. When in doubt: get some coffee and read. At least, that had been your tactic the last few days.   
Suppressing a yawn, you threw on an oversized hoodie and made your way down to the kitchen. It wasn't really cold enough for a hoodie, but you felt more comfortable with the long sleeves covering your bruised skin. The others already treated you like a broken doll; you felt no need to add any fuel to that behaviour. 

“Hey Jarvis”, you said as you entered the elevator at the end of the hall, looking into the air with a slight smile. 

“Good morning, Miss (Y/N). Where to?”, the AI greeted you back. 

“To the lounge, please. You know I need my morning coffee to function.” 

“Very well”, Jarvis answered and closed the doors. At first, it had felt weird speaking to the computer program, but you quickly grew to enjoy talking to Jarvis. Even if he wasn't a real person, he made great company; the AI treated you nicely and helped you whenever he could.   
“We've arrived at the lounge”, his voice sounded off, as the doors opened again and you stepped out.

The lounge was huge. A chill area spread through half the room, containing a big and comfy couch as well an enormous flat screen. You could imagine the amazing movie nights that could possibly take place here. Not that you were feeling like watching a film anytime soon.  
On the other end of the room sat the kitchen where you were heading; it was as extensive as everything else in the tower.

You continued your way but stopped hastily as you heard angry voices coming from the kitchen. Not wanting to intrude, you took a quiet step towards the wall, taking cover behind one of the pillars. The others hadn't noticed you, so you stayed hidden and listened. 

“Fury can't possibly be serious”, you heard Natasha curse. She had her back to you, but her angry stance spoke volumes. 

“I agree with the Director of the Shield.” It was the God of Thunder that spoke. You carefully peered into the kitchen to get a closer look at the arguing superheroes. 

“You what?” Tony angrily set his coffee mug onto the kitchen counter, staring at Thor, who had leaned against the big dining table just across the kitchen itself.

“He has pained Midgard in many ways, I am sure of that”, Thor spoke, taking a defensive posture. “He made many mistakes. But..” 

“No 'buts'”, Natasha interrupted Thor loudly. “He's a damn murderer and psychopath.” Thor's expression was pained, as he looked back and forth between Nat and Tony. “I can't believe Fury wants him to live under the same roof as us.” Finally, Steve cleared his throat. The Capitan had withheld himself from the conversation until now.

“I'm not pleased with Loki living here with us either, but can't we settle this without yelling?”, he asked uncomfortably.

'Loki'. The name rang a bell. Pressed against the wall, you tried recall the last time you've heard it. Then it hit you.   
Soon after you'd moved to from the hospital floor to your own room, you had complained to Thor about Clint being overprotective. He wouldn't leave you alone for more than a few hours at a time, before he was back at your room, hoovering over you.   
The God of Thunder had laughed, much to your confusion. He explained, he knew the feeling all to well, as he was a big brother himself. Answering your curious questions, he told you as much as he could about his brother Loki, the God of Mischief, until Natasha had almost rudely interrupted him. Loki was evil and not to be trusted. Even now, you could still see how much her words had hurt Thor.

Back in reality, you had almost felt bad for eavesdropping on your brother and his friends, but now your interest was sparked. So you, again, peered into the kitchen. Although both Thor and Steve were facing your way, no one had noticed your presence yet. They were too deep into their argument. 

“I'm sorry Thor, but I have to agree with Nat on this one.” Your brother stepped forward, taking his place next to Natasha. “Especially with my sister still in recovery.” Curious, you leaned closer.   
“She's still healing from whatever Hydra did to her all these months. And I don't trust Loki around her, not after what he did to me.” 

“I wouldn't trust him around (Y/N) either, if I were you”, Tony agreed. “After New York, how could anyone trust him?”

“Do not forget it is still my brother, you are talking about, man of iron”, Thor claimed. While the God was staring at Tony, you could see the hope in his eyes. Whatever his little brother had done, he still believed he could change.   
You had no idea why, but Thor's expression sparked something inside of you. Even though you've never met or even really heard much about Loki before, you felt the need to stand up for him. 

Taking a deep breath, you made a decision. You confidently stepped into the kitchen, taking a place next to your brother. The Avengers just eyed you surprised and before any of them could say something, you took it upon yourself to speak.

“I think he should get the chance to redeem himself”, you stated, much to your brothers horror. It was the asgardian God that gave you a stunned but thankful smile.

“(Y/N)! What are you doing here? You weren't supposed..”

“I wasn't supposed to know?”, you interrupted your brother angrily, crossing your arms in front of your chest. “Why, because I'm the broken victim?” Clint avoided your gaze and you immediately felt bad. He'd never done anything but care for you.   
You walked towards him, embracing him in a tight hug. “I'm sorry. I know you only want to protect me. But despite everything that's happened, I think I still should have a say in this as well. I live here too now, remember?” While you spoke, Clint's face softened. 

“You're right, little bird. I just wanted to protect you. I'm sorry.” Your brother put his arms around you, pressing a soft kiss onto your head. You leaned closer into him, as Tony harrumphed audibly. 

“Not to interrupt the happy family-time, but we still have a bit of a problem here.” 

“Apropos family: where's Bruce?”, you asked, freeing yourself from your brothers hug. You hadn't noticed the scientist missing until now. 

“Still down at the lab”, Tony replied. “He doesn't want anything to do with this.. issue.” He took a deep sip out of his coffee mug, rubbing his temple. 

“I don't know much about S.H.I.E.L.D and Fury”, you admitted. “But even if you wanted, I don't think you could just disagree with them and disregard their orders, can you?”

“The smart lady has a point.” You flashed Thor a shy smile. 

“Oh come on, big guy. Of course you want to protect your brother; you can hardly argue neutrally here.”, Natasha snorted.

“And how about the rest of you?”, you interrupted. “I mean, it's like you won't even think about giving Thor's brother a second chance.” You stared at the female agent; for a heartbeat, she almost looked a little guilty. “I mean, what could he possibly have done that's THIS bad?” You let your gaze wander of the gathered Avengers. 

“You mean like trying to enslave humanity?”, Natasha said sarcastically. You felt the blood draining from your face. 

“You're kidding, right?” You looked at Thor, expecting him to clear things up, but he just nodded ashamed. This information was, in fact, hard to process. Deep in thought, you plonked yourself down on one of the dining chairs. 

“Not so eager to stand up for him any more, are you?”, Natasha said bitterly. I fumbled on the ties of my hoodie, my thoughts still spinning.

“I-I don't know..”, I admitted, staring down into my lap. 

“Guys, please”, Steve interrupted my stammering. “We have to come to a conclusion soon, so let's stop fighting, okay?”

“I'm afraid your argument is irrelevant”, Jarvis suddenly spoke over the kitchen speakers. Confusion filled the room.

“And why would that be?”, Tony asked angrily into the air.

“Director Fury has just entered the building, sir. And I believe the man he's accompanied by is Sir Loki himself.” Tony cursed violently.   
Uneasy, you looked up to your brother. Clint slung an arm around your waist, pulling him close to you, as if to shield you from the approaching director and Asgardian God. 

“What now?”, your brother asked. 

“I'll tell Fury where he can stick his stupid idea...”

“Tony”, Natasha interrupted his rampage, shooting him a warning glance.

“What? Now all of a sudden you think it's a good idea, just because Fury is about to step out of the elevator any minute?” Tony was furious. 

“No. I don't. I'm just saying, since he's already here: maybe let's hear him out first.”

“This is nonsense..”, Tony muttered under his breath. Just as he was about to add something, probably explicit, the sound of the arriving elevator made everyone turn to the lift in unison. 

As the doors slid open, the first thing you saw was the director himself. His long leather coat together with the black eyepatch, concealing his right eye, added to his tense expression.   
Something radiated off of the director. A mixture of justice and power surrounded him like a second coat; you were sure you didn't ever want to end up on his bad side. And from the sudden drop of ambiance, you were confident the others were feeling the same way.

Then, clutching a thick file in his left hand, Nick Fury stepped aside, revealing Loki, the God of Mischief, himself.  
No matter what you imagined Thor's brother to look like, Loki didn't match any of your prior assumptions.   
The God of Mischief was tall as well, but instead of his brothers blond locks, raven black hair fell into his eyes and covered most of his pale face.   
Where the God of Thunder was buff, his brother was more slender, but still athletic; his movement gracious and feline like. His dark green armour, graced with elegant gold details, seemed to underline his elegant features even more. 

What really surprised you though were his eyes. As he had stepped out of the elevator, they were hidden behind the black curtain of his hair. But as the God took a look around the living room, his gaze met yours and you felt yourself suck in your breath.   
Loki's eyes were of the most brilliant emerald green you'd ever seen. Even from the distance, you could see them sparkle; their bright colour standing out against his otherwise black and white features. 

It was impossible to pull away from his gaze, like a force pulling you in, and if you wouldn't have known better, you would have thought he felt it too.

With a roguish grin, Loki finally tore his eyes away from you and let his gaze wander over the assembled avengers. 

“Well, well”, he purred, his voice deep but surprisingly melodic. “The avengers have gathered to give me a warm welcome, what a pleasant surprise.” Loki took a step closer towards your group, which made your brother next to you tense immediately. 

“Stop right there, Loki..”, he growled. Gently but firmly, Clint pushed you further behind him, his body mostly shielding yours from the God's eyes.

“Or else?” The God's eyes twinkled amused. “I see you don't even have your monster here to unleash upon me.” 

“Bruce is not..”, Natasha hissed, but was hastily interrupted by the Director.

“Enough!” Fury's angry gaze made you freeze next to your brother and so did the rest of the Avengers. To your surprise, even Loki calmed himself, though the smug grin was still plastered across his face. “This is a serious matter.” You swallowed hard as the Director shot all of you an angry look.  
“With this said”, he continued unaffectedly. “I assume you have all heard of my orders already?” Out of the corner of your eyes, you spotted Cap nodding slightly, while Tony beside him harrumphed contemptuous.

“Oh, we've heard”, he stated. “And by all means: your orders are stupid.” Loki chuckled slightly as the director tensed remarkably. 

“Let me get one thing straight, Stark: I founded the Avengers Initiative. So despite your splendid work for our planet, I still have a say. And I have decided, together with S.H.I.E.L.D, it would be for the best to put Loki under your surveillance. For once, to make sure he doesn't plan anything dangerous”, he continued, Loki behind him rolling his eyes in annoyance. “And secondly: To give him the chance to change his previous behaviours.” Furys features twitched slightly, but went straight back to his cold and superior mask within seconds. 

“We will do our best, sir”, Steve was the first to speak. With a dismissive snort, Tony turned his back on the director. He started making himself another cup of coffee; with a bit too much dedication operating the coffee machine. 

“This was fun while it lasted”, Loki stated ironically. “So if you would excuse me...” Without waiting for anyone to answer, he turned towards elevator. 

“I will show my brother to his room”, Thor mumbled quickly before rushing after Loki. Just before the doors closed behind them, you could see the older brother argue, while the younger just stared at nothing, smiling to himself.

“I'm sure Loki will be in the best hands with all of you”, Fury said, walking towards the counters. 

“You might think that now, but have you forgotten how sneaky that bastard is?” Natasha crossed her arms, brows furrowed. 

“Natasha is right, director.”, Clint added, leaning against the kitchen counters. “I don't like him being this close to (Y/N).” Fury turned towards you; you immediately felt yourself tense. 

“She is strong, Barton”, he said. “I think she can take care of herself just fine.” Deep inside your shattered self, his words woke something. Call it confidence, pride or maybe even ignorance. It didn't matter to you.  
Determined, you raised your head, assertively holding Fury's gaze. You could have sworn you saw the director smirk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, you finally met Loki! :D Please let me know, how you like the "story" so far. Any suggestions or questions are welcome! I'm already working on chapter 3, so it should be ready within the next few days.


	3. The Lord of the Rings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Unable to sleep, you make a nightly encounter...

It was nearly 3 a.m. as you stared at your watch again for what felt like the hundredths time this night. All the others had gone to bed hours ago, but you still laid awake, tossing and turning around.

Right after Fury had left in a hurry, the Avengers had started arguing again; this time without Thor as a neutral party. But instead Bruce had joined them from the lab. While the others were bickering, you had filled the Doctor in on everything that had happened earlier, concluding with Loki moving into his own room at the tower.  
Bruce had looked uneasy as he listened to your summary and had soon decided to flee back into the lab. Watching the Avengers, squabbling like children, you couldn't blame him. Soon after, you chose to follow Dr. Banners example and had made your way back to your room.

You had to admit: Natasha had a point. After hearing, what you assumed to be only a fraction of Loki's past, you weren't too eager to stand up for him against your friends anymore. But whatever it was that had made you this protective in the first way, it also made it hard to watch the very same friends talk so poorly about the god.   
And instead of causing any more trouble than necessary, you had silently excused yourself and took the elevator to your floor.

But rather than escaping the conflict, you just seemed to stumble into the next one. You had just been on your way down the hall, as you had noticed one of the doors on the right, just across your room, standing ajar.  
Trying to be as inconspicuous as possible, you walked by, unintentionally overhearing an agitated conversation. With pounding heart, you stopped dead in your tracks as you recognized the God of Thunder speaking.

“Just think about what our father would say..” Thor sounded determined, but was soon interrupted. 

“You know all to well that Odin's opinion means nothing to me, brother”, Loki spat at him. The tension between the two was almost unbearable, even without looking at the brothers. Subconsciously, you pressed yourself closer against the cold wall. 

“Loki..” This time, Thor's voice sounded softer, you noticed. Pleading almost.

“Don't you dare to pity me.” Loki's deep voice was filled with resentment; making shivers run down your spine.

“You are right. I should not”, Thor stated just as angry. “Because if it wasn't for your own foolish decisions, you would not be here in the first place.” The brutal words cut the air like knifes. For what felt like forever, the two brothers stayed silent. Only the hammering of your heart pounded in your ears. As Thor finally spoke again, he sounded almost heartbroken.   
“Brother..”

“Don't.” Loki's voice was cold as ice, suppressed anger swinging within it. “You better leave now before you make me do another foolish thing I might regret.” Again, silence wrapped the hallway in it's icy claws. The tension was unendurable.

Afraid to make yourself felt, and possibly attract the gods' wrath, you had hurried towards your room. Your heart had still been pounding painfully in your chest, long after the door had closed safely behind you.

You hadn't left it since. Not even to get a bite for dinner. The constant fighting in the tower was laying heavily on you. You've never been one to bear a conflict for long. But especially after your time with Hydra, you had noticed yourself become even more sensible than before.   
Maybe it was just your body's way of telling you that you've endured enough already. But it definitely made you avoid social interactions as much as possible. Today was excellent prove why.

Yawing, you stretched out on your bed. You were still wearing your hoodie, but had ditched your jeans for a comfy pair of leggings. Even in your own room, you still had a hard time looking at your bruised reflection. It brought back to many memories.   
A lump formed in your throat, making it hard to breath. Distraction. You needed to distract yourself from your thoughts.   
Just then, your growling stomach provided the perfect opportunity.

The tower was quiet at night; but in a good way. It felt nice to have it to yourself, without either of the Avengers hovering over you, as if you could break any second.   
That's why, in the last few days, you often found yourself wandering towards the living room. Especially at night, it had a magical vibe. You'd spend hours staring out of the huge windows down onto the city. You could easily loose yourself in the flickering lights and dark streets of New York. Observing, without having to interact. It was mesmerising and relaxing at the same time.

Yawning, you stepped out of the elevator into the dark living area. You were pleased to find it empty. 

“Jarvis? Could you turn on a dim light, please?”, you asked, cautiously walking towards the kitchen, only lit by the moonlight shining through the glass walls.

“Very well, Ms Barton.” Two floor lamps slowly imbued the room in a warm light. “But please note that I am not fond of your sleeping schedule. It is bad for your health to sleep this little.” You rolled your eyes, opening the refrigerator. 

“I know, I know. It's not like I do it on purpose.” Looking up into the air, you added: “Please don't tell the others, okay? Especially not Clint.” 

“You know I cannot ignore direct orders.” You sighed resignedly while searching through the fridge for something edible. “I will, however, keep your secret for as long as no one asks explicitly.” You smiled to yourself, hoping Jarvis could feel your relief.

“Thanks Jarvis.”

“Anytime, Ms Barton.”

After fixing yourself a sandwich, you plumped yourself onto one of the big sofas. You devoured your food quickly, your stomach rumbling in excitement.  
Happily, you noticed your current read still laying on the table in front of you, right where you left it. Gently, you picked the great tome up; Fantasy stories like these had always been your favourite. They were a welcoming distraction from your daily life.  
Books, and reading in general, were one of the things you had missed the most while being captured by Hydra, aside from Clint, of course. 

During the endless hours you had been laying in your cell, waiting for the next torture session, you had found yourself trying to escape into all the tales you've read before your captivity. Playing the stories in your head over and over again didn't have quite the same effect though.

You shook your head, as if trying to scare away the images. Tenderly, you opened the book and started reading. It didn't take long for you to fully dive into the story, cutting out anything else around you. The words blurred before your eyes, forming into characters and landscapes, for you to loose yourself in. 

Time passed, without you noticing. You stayed on the couch, the thick book tight in your hands. You were so deep into the story, you hadn't even noticed as the elevator had stopped at the living area once again this night.   
You were all the more startled as a deep voice broke through your imagination:

“What are you reading?” Jumping with fright, you almost dropped your book out of your hands. As you turned around, you were just as surprised to see Loki standing behind you. 

The God had ditched his distinctive armour for casual black pants and a dark green shirt; the mundane clothes suited him surprisingly well, you had to admit. The fine fabric hugged his features perfectly. You couldn't help but stare at his toned body for a second too long.  
Catching you staring, he flashed you an uneven grin in response, making his eyes sparkling wittily.   
“Like what you see?”

Blush crept into your cheeks and you broke the eye contact immediately. You took a deep breath, trying to shake the weird feeling, before you'd gathered the strength to reply.

“Oh, um, hey. Sorry, you startled me”, you said, resting your book next to you on the couch. “I thought everyone was sleeping already.”

“They are”, he said. Out of the corner of your eye, you could see him walk towards the kitchen as he spoke. “Everyone except the two of us, apparently.” Just as you before, Loki opened the refrigerator, aimlessly looking around. 

“Oh, um, cool”, you babbled, staring at his back, fiddling with the hem of your hoodie. “What are doing up this late?” 

“Night owl.” He turned towards you. “What is your excuse?” 

“Same, I guess”, you answered flatly. You could see the gears in his mind turning, but whatever he noticed, he gladly kept to himself. For a short while, neither of you said anything. Eventually, Loki decided on an apple. Taking a bite, he closed the fridge again and walked towards you.

“So?” He nodded towards your book. “What are you reading?”

“Oh this..” You took the book into your hands again, gently stroking it's back while you spoke. “It's 'Lord of the Rings'. One of my favourites.” You smiled to yourself. 

“What is it about?” You turned your head, facing Loki in shock.

“You've never heard about 'The Lord of the Rings' before?”, you exclaimed. The God chuckled in response, before walking around the couch to sit down next to you. Normally, you would have slid to the side, bringing more space between you and others.  
But with Loki, it was different. Somehow, it was comfortable for you to have him sitting this close to you.

“I am afraid I have not heard any stories about a ring lord before”, Loki told you amused. “You might remember: I am not from around here.” You nodded, returning his smile. 

“Right, I forgot. Asgardian god and all.” You took a deep breath to collect your thoughts. Loki eyed you curiously.   
“It's about the One Ring, that once belonged to the powerful Sauron. In order to save their world Middle Earth and defeat Sauron, the different folks form a fellowship of nine to destroy the ring. Let's just say, it's not as easy as they might have thought in the beginning.” Loki cocked his head, listening attentive.

“Sounds quite interesting.” He took another bite of his apple, without moving his gaze. 

“Oh, it is.” You couldn't help but sound excited. “But for me, it's way more. It's a story about strength, friendship and courage. A reminder you can achieve almost anything, if you just believe in yourself.” Your eyes met Loki's. “It helps me remember that, no matter how hard or dark things seem, there's always hope.” The God's eyes stared into yours with such an intensity, it made your mouth dry.   
Your words had woken something inside him; something you hadn't been able to see before. It was unlike the prideful exterior he wore so well. But underneath the cocky appearance laid a broken man, beaten and manipulated, waiting to be seen.

And his expression mirrored yours. It was as if he, unlike everyone else, was able to see behind your facade; see the real you.  
All of a sudden, there was an indescribable tension between the two of you. And neither of you wanted to be the one to break it.

Your heart was beating heavily in your chest. You wanted to say something, reach out to him. Wanted to let the broken man before you know that he wasn't alone. Tell him no one was truly broken. Tell him everything would be fine again. 

But you were frozen by his gaze. And before you regained the ability to talk, Loki abruptly rose from the sofa, hurrying towards the elevator. He didn't even look back. 

You had no idea, how long you had stayed on the couch all alone, the thoughts in your mind racing. Over and over, you replayed your conversation in your head. But it didn't bring you any answers. The asgardian prince remained a mystery to you. 

'Of course he is', you thought to yourself. 'You've only just met the guy.' You took a deep breath, staring down at your hands. But why had his presence felt so familiar then? Like you'd seen yourself in him? Like he was just as lost as you, waiting for someone to save him?

You swallowed hard, absent-mindedly stroking your book, as an idea sparked inside your head. With a sudden boost of energy, you jumped up and hurried over to the kitchen counter. Determined, you reached for the little note pad laying on top it, together with a little pencil that read “Stark Industries”. Jittery, you scribbled:

Maybe it will help you as well.  
\- Sincerely, (Y/N). 

After finishing, you stared at the note in doubt. For a second, you debated crumpling it up and discarding the idea. But then you grabbed both the note and your book and made your way to the lift.

You felt strangely flustered as you stepped onto your floor, the book pressed against your chest. Gratefully, no light was shining from underneath the god's door as you stopped in front of it. You already felt nervous enough.  
Carefully, you placed the book on Loki's doorstep, your note attached to its front. Before you could change your mind, you hurried back into your room, closing the door behind you with your heart nearly beating out of your chest.

And even as you were finally drifting to sleep later that night, the god never left your mind.

As you woke up the next morning, you felt incredibly stupid. Why did you think it was a good idea to lend your book to a wrathful god again? It wasn't like you were friends. Even the word acquaintance seemed a little far fetched.

The thought was eating you up, even as you finally got up to get some breakfast in the lounge. But to your surprise, as you passed his room on your way to the lift, your book along with the note was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all: thank you so, so much for your reads, comments and kudos!! <3 I'm honestly blown away! It means so much to me! 
> 
> Hopefully you enjoyed this shorter chapter. I'm already working on the next one. :) If you have any ideas, inspiration or critic, just let me know! Love y'all and see you in the next chapter!

**Author's Note:**

> Hey folks, I hope you had fun reading this very first chapter or more the prolog. :) As I said, this is my first fic, so please don't be too hard on me. I've already added the next chapter for you if you like. Other than that, I'll try to upload regularly (possibly once a week). 
> 
> And I know, the chapters might be a bit long, but I just couldn't restrain myself.. 0:)


End file.
